


Coping

by AlyssAlenko



Series: The Doctor is In [1]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Background Alec Ryder, Background Castis Vakarian, Background Garrus Vakarian, Coping, Doctor puns, F/M, Innuendo, Love, Love Confessions, Memories, Mild Sexual Content, Naked Cuddling, Nightmares, Older Man/Younger Woman, Reminiscing, Sex, Through the Years, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 16:01:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13978605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlyssAlenko/pseuds/AlyssAlenko
Summary: Marlo can't handle everything after Habitat 7 and seeks solace in the arms of her favorite doctor, unbeknownst to both of them, there's a confession lurking on the tip of his tongue...And I have a serious problem with inappropriate doctor puns, somebody stop me...For someone who's been super supportive of my writing for the longest time and these two are her current OTP





	Coping

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vorcha_Girl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vorcha_Girl/gifts).



“Look at you, medigel in one hand, omnitool research on the other--I’ve never been more turned on in my entire life.” Marlo fanned herself with her hand, winking at Harry as he glanced up at her, smiling. “Hot enough to stop my heart, but skilled enough to restart it.”

His face fell--the joke wasn't funny not after she was clinically dead for twenty-two seconds after Habitat 7...the longest twenty-two seconds of his life. She was trying to put up a brave front, her smile at her completely inappropriate doctor pun not reaching her eyes. Harry had known Marlo long enough to read the concern and worry that flashed behind her teal eyes...concern for her brother, and worry that if she slept she’d have nightmares about what had happened planetside to her father. The fact that she was here, in the medbay, instead of Alec’s quarters was far too telling. She chewed on her lower lip, fingers nervously tugging on the hem of her large t-shirt that hung off one shoulder which she wore over plain black skin tight leggings her face haunted as he turned off his omnitool, and set down the medigel. He motioned her forward, embracing her gently.

She buried her face in his chest...it was nice to not be alone.

“Harry I can’t be there by myself; there are too many memories...do you mind if I stay with you?”

He shook his head, as he smoothed her blonde hair away from her face, kissing her forehead as he held her close.

“I’ve only got one patient at the moment, and he’s in a coma. Come on.” He took her hand in his, lacing his fingers with hers as he led her into his office behind the med bay.

His room reminded her of him, neat and put together, barely any furniture, aside from a desk and a bed that looked like it was barely slept in. She shot him a look when she saw the paperbacks littered across his desk; he’d been holding out on her, knowing how much she loved the feel of paper under her fingertips--but when he tugged her across the room and held one up, she scrunched her nose at the medical titles for research about comas. Nevermind then. He was trying so hard to give her brother back to her at least, and he would never know how grateful she was to have him in her corner--even when she doubted herself and her new position as Pathfinder. He’d let her into his space, into his world, and she’d never be able to tell him how much that meant to her, his unwavering support, no questions asked.

“Harry, thank you for this. After everything, I think I just needed a shoulder.”

“Marlo, I’m here for you, whatever you need. You know that, right?”

“I’m beginning to.” She whispered, vulnerability lurking behind her teal eyes.

She stood on her tiptoes, brushing her lips against his, his stubble rough against her fingers that stroked down his jawline. There was the sensation of movement as she backed him towards his bed, her lips never leaving his, not even to draw breath until he felt the edge of the cot behind his knees, falling onto the bed, and glancing up at her, as she swung her leg over his, straddling him. A different emotion lurked behind her eyes now, lust--gone was the sadness from before, her mind and body ready to replace that with something else entirely instead of letting her dwell in her sorrows. He didn’t want to deny her anything, but neither did he want her burying her pain in sex; as a medical professional, that didn’t sit right with him.

“Marlo, love, think about this for just a second.”

Her hands stilled on the zipper of his pants. “What did you call me?”

“Marlo?”

She took her hands away, ignoring how they suddenly shook as she rubbed her palms up and down her thighs. “After that. Did you--did you mean it?”

Harry flushed. “I did.”

She threw her arms around him, bowling him over onto the mattress, his hands wrapping in her hair as she fervently brought her lips to his, his mouth teasing hers open on a groan, Marlo feeling a response where she was straddling him. Harry Carlyle basically telling her he loved her was not where she’d expected her evening to be headed, but God, if he hadn’t lightened her heart by a ton when he’d said it, not realizing how much impact those words had on her, and now she never wanted to let go. She couldn’t imagine what her father would say if he was here right now, his friend and his daughter, in love and shacking up. Gentle, eager hands pushed his shirt up his stomach and over his chest, her lips leaving his to kiss every inch of newly exposed skin as he pulled his shirt the rest of the way off, helping her remove her own clothes and the rest of his. Marlo’s lips came back to his as she rolled her hips against his.

“I love you, too.”

Harry surged into her, swallowing her sigh as he thrust his hips upwards.

The mattress was suddenly at her back, Harry’s chest brushing against her breasts his warm skin rubbing against hers, hips rocking into hers again as he braced his palms flat against the mattress on either side of her head. His lips left hers, eyes tracing the curves of her body, but his attention was only captivated for a moment before he found himself watching her, several different emotions flickering across her face, lost in the pleasure and sensations.  She pressed every inch of her body up against his, hardened nipples brushing his chest. He sighed contentedly as she wrapped her arms around his neck, the fingers of his free hand caressing her chest, sides and her hips. She arched up into him.

His mouth left hers as he kissed his way down her body, his stubble grazing the underside of her breast before taking a nipple between his teeth gently scraping the tip making her come apart on a shudder, Harry right behind. He kissed her shoulder and rolled off of her, tucking her body against his side. She drew a hand down his chest, draping a leg over his, as Harry smiled leaning over to claim her lips with his own. Pulling away he rested his cheek against her forehead relishing in her body heat from just that little touch, fingers drawing circles on his bare chest as she snuggled closer. His heart palpitated. 

“You know we never really talked about it...how long did you know my dad?”

“Seven years. Heard quite a bit about Ellen, SAM you and Desmond. When we met four years later, I couldn’t even connect the dots, you acted so much different than what I’d heard, cool and confident in what you wanted, not the sweet little princess Alec had made you out to be, when you weren't being dragged home by C-Sec.” Harry relaxed as Marlo laughed, the first one since she’d set foot in his medical bay. “Which is why once I knew who you were, I tried so hard to push you away, wanting you felt like a betrayal of trust.”

“Okay, to be fair, pretty sure Garrus only dragged us home on principle, since our dads worked together. D and I never actually did awful stuff, just hung out after curfew--there's this view from the top of the highest building on the Presidium, completely off limits, that at night you can see all the lights...” She trailed off. “Okay, I get it now--”

Harry chuckled, kissing the top of her head and rubbing his hand up and down her arm as he hugged her closer, basking in the aftermath of their lovemaking.


End file.
